About Us

This is our journey as a family of three through my husband’s stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis at 39 and navigating the medical world. This site is a way for me to process and heal through this journey of sadness, grief, peace, and advocacy. Mustering Courage came about because the medical system is so badly broken. I had to learn to muster the courage to be the best advocate for Zach in the medical world and with our family and friends. Courage to speak up and advocate for what he wanted and needed.

How it Started

It all started in August/September of 2022 with random stomach pains for Zach; he described it as gas-like pains. He thought he was eating something that didn’t agree with him, so he finally went to the doctor in mid-October to figure it out. His PCP (primary care physician) thought it was his gallbladder and ordered an ultrasound to determine the cause of his pain. 1-week after his ultrasound, they called with the results - “We have found a mass in your liver.” You are young and healthy I wouldn’t worry about it, it could be a benign mass in your liver which is not uncommon.

The next step was an MRI. The MRI he needed was rescheduled 3 or 4 times because of Jefferson Radiology staff's lack of training and care. His scan finally happened on 11/16/22, and Zach left with a CD of the images (always get a copy of your imaging). Jefferson Radiology also took 7-10 days to provide the radiology report and with Thanksgiving around the corner I knew we needed answers ASAP. My sister-in-law’s dad is a radiologist, and he offered to give us a 2nd opinion on the report. I was shocked at the length of time it took for Jefferson Radiology to provide the written report. I mailed the MRI CD to him on Wednesday, 11/16, and he sent me a text on Friday, the 18th, asking to do a video chat, and I knew it wasn’t good news. That night, when I got home from work, we called him, and he told us that Zach had multiple lesions in his liver and shadowing on the right side of his colon, which could mean colon cancer, and that he should get a colonoscopy ASAP. That weekend was long, sad, and the realization that our world had been turned upside down in seconds.

The fight to get referrals to other doctors was agonizing. I remember crumbling to the floor in our kitchen, crying because Jefferson Radiology hung up on me. I felt like no one in the medical community cared. It was just another example of advocating.

During those two years, the cancer spread to his lungs, peritoneal lining, and bones. He passed away on December 22, 2024. Zach lived a beautiful life and positively impacted everyone he met.

He is greatly missed, and Silas and I are honoring him each day with the way we choose to live our lives and raise awareness for colon cancer.